Today’s post will be a short one. I was really thrilled that so many people commented on yesterday’s blog where I posted the “test” kitties using beautiful paper that I printed myself and DecoArt's Decoupage Medium.

I had lots of questions regarding techniques and supplies and I pretty much spent the day answering questions and working on a new pattern using this method. Although this can be applied to just about anything you wish, I think that many of you like a design as a springboard, and I am happy to oblige. Today I will be using some of the papers that I purchased online at Etsy and making up some nice designs for spring that will have many uses.

I wanted to give you some links to the stores that I found had some great paper designs at wonderful deals. As I was looking for the links to them for today’s post, I nearly got lost in Etsy again, as I began following path after path of pretty paper. I warn you – it can quickly become an addiction!

One shop that I found particularly fun was called Prettygrafikdesign. They had literally hundreds of what I will call “basic” papers at fantastic prices. They are currently offering their packages at 80% off which means that most of their paper packs are around $1.00! Below is an example of one of the papers that I bought from them. You can click on the picture to take you to that product.

This was a great source for many foundation papers that can be used for many applications.

But specifically, at this time I wanted more ‘romantic’ types of paper. One that was a little more expensive, but I felt was worth the cost was this designs from ItsyDitsyDesigns:

I loved the variety in this package as well as the muted colors. I already have some ideas for some projects that I would like to do with these.

And once again, I want to mention HajDesignPapers. I purchased the package called My Shabby Garden (pictured below) and I am using it for the project I am working on now.

In this package, you get all 12 images for $3.80. But I purchased the special $25 for 10 packages from this shop because they had so many that I liked. That brought the price to just $2.50 for 12 full packages of designs. You can’t beat that!

They also have a special for purchasing only 5 designs that saves you money. I found that many of the Etsy stores offer specials such as this and you only need to look for them.

I love the thought of digital paper because you have a lot of flexibility in fitting it to your application. This is especially true if you have a bit of experience with graphic programs on the computer. I use Photoshop a lot so I am able to change things like tone, size and even transparency of the images on my purchased papers. Transparency is especially cool because some things you may not want the backgrounds to be so bright and vivid as to overpower the main design. By adjusting the transparency, you can achieve just about any look you wish from bold color to just a whisper.

But even if you don’t know computers and decide to print the paper “as is” I feel that it is far more convenient than having to run to the store every time you need a sheet. These full packs are pre-coordinated too, so you can have a set of complimentary products without thinking. It makes things really convenient.

Now I am going to mention something that may seem obvious, but needs to be mentioned anyway . . .

When using papers such as this for your products and gifts, be sure to credit the shop or store where you purchased the paper from. You are NOT able to sell digital sheets of paper with your designs. When I sell my designs where I will be using papers, I will NOT have the papers included in the pattern. I will, however have links so you can purchase these papers yourselves and make the projects look exactly like mine.

If you make items to sell using these papers, it isn’t always necessary to name the source of the paper, but you can do so if you wish. (In example – if you make the kitty ornament that I showed yesterday, you can sell it without mentioning where you got the paper.) But most of the stores have limits on the number of FINISHED products that you can sell without purchasing further licensing from them. The limits are quite lenient though, and many of them allow you to sell several hundred piece before approaching them on further licensing. They cannot be used in mass manufacturing and you cannot claim the designs as your own. All the stores on Etsy have their policies listed right there, and many offer commercial use of their designs. You just have to read the policies and if you have any additional questions, just ask. It is better to be safe than sorry.

This all makes a lot of sense. It is good practice to support designers. It is only fair that they receive compensation for the work they do. We all want to get paid for our work. When you think of how much NICER your projects will look when you use their designs, you should feel good about crediting them and compensating them. After all – they make YOUR designs look better and sell better or you wouldn’t have used their products in the first place. Am I right?

As I work with all of these new products, I will be sure to credit all the companies/designers so you can also visit them as well. I think having great service and products should be rewarded, and getting word out about certain companies that I like and inviting others to check them out as well is a good practice. I hope you all follow suit so the crafting industries continue to thrive and we have lots of choices for our creative supplies.

With that said, I am off to get to work. I have lots to do today and I hope to have more beautiful things to show you tomorrow. It is clam here today. Still grey, but drying out and a little warmer. I am finding that any day that it is NOT snowing gives me hope of warmer days to come.

Hi Sheila. Beautiful papers! Thank you for sharing the link. I have a whole case of beautiful papers that I used to use for my scrapbooking calendars which I now do digitally. You have given me lots of ideas now to use the paper up! The possibilities are always endless. :)

Good morning, Anna! I am glad I am helping you find ways to use your paper stash. I am finding that I am building quite a stash myself. It is fun though and I love the digital option – papers that don’t get used right away are safe from being damaged when they are digital files. so much fun to be had! :)